As travel is now well and truly back on the cards, we know exactly where we will be heading as soon as we can!
With absolutely stunning scenery and wildlife, incredible people and some of the most delicious food and drink in the southern hemisphere, Queensland is already high up on the list of destinations to visit for those looking for the best experiences that Australia has to offer.
But what some people won’t know yet is that Queensland is also a paradise for gin-lovers too. Here are 5 reasons why we think any right-minded gin-ophile should put Queensland on the travel bucket list!
Reason #1:
You’ll never drink a G&T with a better view. Ever.
Over the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.
When you think of Australia it invokes images of the Great Barrier Reef, luscious rainforests and the red stone and sand of the Outback. What some people may not know is that all three can be found within the state of Queensland!
Cobbold Gauge, Outback Queensland.
Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.
There, you can snorkel and scuba dive in the blue waters of that World Heritage-Listed reef, observe and learn about turtles at the Mon Repos Turtle Centre in Bundaberg, visit the rainforests of the Tropical North and discover the wide-open space of the outback!
Southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.
Daintree Rainforest, Tropical North Queensland, Australia.
And for gin-loves in particular, there are some epic experiences that allow you to take in the stunning scenery with a G&T in hand! On the Whitsundays, take a trip over to Hamilton Island and visit One Tree Hill, a cocktail bar with stunning views of the bright blue waters and tropical islands of Queensland. Or head to the world’s oldest lava tubes in Undara National Park before travelling north-west to Mount Uncle Distillery in the Atherton Tablelands for a tasting like no other!
Image: Hamilton Island, The Whitsundays.
Image: Mount Uncle Distillery, Atherton Tablelands.
Reason #2:
The thriving urban craft gin distilleries are world-class.
Whether it’s the chic-but-laid-back state capital Brisbane, the beach-front paradise of the Gold Coast or the quaint city of Bundaberg, widely famed for its rum, Queensland’s vibrant and welcoming cities are the perfect place explore and to people-watch as you sip away at a G&T… or two. What’s more, they are home to some fantastic craft gin distilleries! Here’s our pick of the bunch.
Howard Smith Wharves, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
In Brisbane, the Winston Quinn Gin Distillery makes remarkable gin and loves to receive visitors for a tasting or two!
Work up a thirst before you hit the distillery with a cultural visit to the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art or, for the daredevils out there, you can climb up and abseil down Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge. You’ll definitely want a stiff gin after that, gulp. Or why not take a kayak down the Brisbane River or a bike tour of the city. There is just so much to do in Brisbane!
Meanwhile, the Gold Coast (actually a city) is not only home to Granddad Jack’s Craft Distillery, which makes wonderful craft gins and always has its doors open wide to visitors, it’s also a marvellous surfing destination. One of the beaches is aptly named Surfers Paradise Beach! But there are so many incredible beaches to choose from on this gorgeous stretch of coastline - pick one to stop and have a gin cocktail or two while watching the surfers catch some waves.
Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
A must-see while in that area is Gold Coast’s beautiful hinterland region, home to one of Queensland’s many national parks and a distillery, of course. Tamborine Mountain Distillery is named after one of Queensland’s many natural treasures, Tamborine Mountain, and is a great place to stop off for a tasting!
Image: Tamborine Mountain Distillery, Gold Coast hinterland.
Bundaberg is a region famed for its rum and for being the southern-most gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, but that’s not all that makes it so special, if you received our July 2022 Gin of the Month box then you will already have tasted another glorious product of the region, Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Have a go at this stunning Bundaberg Ginger Beer and gin cocktail!
A visit to Bundaberg’s Kalki Moon Distillery is must when there! Their tours and tastings are a fantastic way to broaden you gin horizons. And then you have to visit their botanical gardens and heritage sites, it’s a city wrapped in history! Top it all off by island hopping up the coast, visiting the stunning Lady Musgrave, Heron, Lady Elliot, Wilson, Pumpkin and Great Keppel Island.
Captain Cook Highway, Tropical North Queensland, Australia.
Lady Musgrave Island, Southern Great Barrier Reef region, Queensland, Australia.
Famed for being where the rainforest meets the reef, Cairns has the Great Barrier Reef on one side of it and the World Heritage-Listed Daintree Rainforest on the other, making it perfect for nature lovers. Gin-lovers won’t be disappointed either, a visit to Wolf Lane Distillery will more than satisfy their ginny needs!
Image: Wolf Lane Distillery, Cairns.
Reason #3:
The local food is as good as the local gin!
It is a simple truth that gin is the perfect tipple to enjoy with food. Luckily, thanks to the warm climate and rich landscape, Queensland has some of the finest produce in the whole of Australia and restaurants there are using that fresh produce to create some delectable dishes. These four restaurants should be on the hit list, each will make you a mean G&T and serve you the best ingredients Queensland has to offer.
Image: Gauge
Gauge offers a seasonal menu that serves inventive Australian fare. Based in Brisbane, you can expect local produce worked into a lip-smacking symphony of styles and influences.
The menu changes regularly but may include the likes of sourdough noodles with braised broccoli and salted lemon, BBQ lamb belly with fig leaf oil and Turkish chilli and neighbourhood farm tomatoes with buffalo ricotta, nduja and chervil seeded fougasse (a delicious bread).
Image: Gauge
Image: Pier 33
For the freshest Australian seafood imaginable, it has to be Pier 33. They are on the Sunshine Coast, with sea views and a seafood-inspired menu.
Not only that, but they have a fabulous cocktail menu too. There, you can sit outside and enjoy the view as you sip and nibble away!
Their Mooloolaba prawn roll with truffle aioli, cos lettuce, orange tobiko (fish roe) and toasted brioche and Seafood Fettucine are both scrumptious options!
Image: Pier 33
Image: Homage
For a taste of Queensland’s in-land larder, head to Homage Restaurant. Set in the Scenic Rim Region, this restaurant uses local ingredients and those that are grown in its own market garden to produce dishes of outstanding quality and flavour. Their dishes are seasonal and are designed to really show off the ingredients.
Expect the likes of wood-roasted mushroom, pine and eggs from their chickens and grain-fed rib fillet, broccolini, native pepper berry, pickled lemon. We are salivating!
Image: Homage
Image: Nu Nu
And for something utterly unique, you have to visit Nu Nu in Palm Cove, just north of Cairns. Each plate is a wonderful expression of Queensland’s tropical landscapes. Their menu includes intriguing and exciting dishes like Melaleuca smoked reef fish, peanut & papaya relish, climbing pepper leaf & pearls and red roast tolga beef cheek curry, sweet potato, peanuts & finger lime, which sound incredible, even if we may need the server to explain one or two of the items.
It’s a must-try, especially as the drinks menu is just as exotic as the food menu!
Beach dining at Nu Nu, Palm Cove, Tropical North Queensland, Australia.
Reason #4:
What better way to meet the locals than over a craft G&T?
Queensland is home to passionate locals who are always eager to welcome you in for chin wag and show off the amazing things that their state has to offer. A couple of words from Queenland’s thriving gin community lay testament to that - their pride in Queensland produce just makes us all the more excited to visit one day!
“We try to get our ingredients, especially our citrus, locally – it’s part of being community-oriented. Using Queensland-grown botanicals in our gins always adds a little something to the flavour. Here on the Gold Coast, where our distillery and bar are, we can go to the beach on our lunch break and the rainforest is a half-hour drive away. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to live if you love sunshine. What’s better than having a G&T with your friends and family on a beautiful day? And we get a lot of beautiful days here.”
“Here in Queensland, we grow macadamias, sweet potatoes, bananas, mango – you name it, we grow it. I was lucky that we have a local grower of lemon and cinnamon myrtle, which I use in my gin. I was very focused on making a local gin. I started my career at Bundaberg Rum, which is an icon here in Australia. We also have Bundaberg Brewed Drinks. They make a fiery ginger beer, which we pair with our gin. It’s been a huge hit with the locals, and lends itself well to the coastal surroundings!”
“We have rich red volcanic soil and mountain-fresh spring water here. We use much of the abundant fruit of the mountain and the local area in our range of exotic liqueurs and spirits – we currently have 90 products in our tasting room, many award-winners.
Two of our gins are unique to Australia: Lilly Pilly Gin and Davidson Plum Gin. Lilly Pillies are evergreen rainforest plants with glossy green leaves, and berries that are often used to make jam. Davidson plums from the rainforest are about the size of golf balls and grow directly on the trunk of the tree. We use them to make an aromatic gin with a bright garnet colour.”
Reason #5:
The cocktail bars are a treasure trove for gin lovers.
Queensland is home to a thriving cocktail and gin bar scene that has us so excited! These are just a couple of the amazing bars we want to visit as soon as we get off the plane.
Covent Garden, Brisbane, is a bar dedicated to our favourite tipple! They have a delightful cocktail menu full of unique treats and a gin menu of dizzying proportions, all of which you can work through in the chic setting of their bar. Wonderful!
Image: Covent Garden
Daydream Island, The Whitsundays, Queensland, Australia.
As unforgettable experiences go, having a G&T on a private island has to be one of the best. That’s why we are going googly-eyed over Tonic Bar on Daydream Island, in Queensland’s famous Whitsundays. The bar is part of a luxurious resort that even has an underwater observatory, allowing you to look out onto a living reef!
Image: Daydream Island, The Whitsundays.
Image: Wolf Lane Distillery
Wolf Lane Distillery’s, Cellar Door, is a bar we need to try too! With the jungles of the World Heritage-Listed Daintree Rainforest just a stone’s throw one way and the Great Barrier Reef the other way, Cellar Door is the perfect place to sample all of the delights their amazing Australian Gin has to offer!
If you can’t wait to taste all that Queensland has to offer then we have two amazing cocktail recipes from two Queensland distillery’s that should tide you over until we can travel again. Give these a go!
Kalki Moon’s Gin-Gin Mule
Ingredients
50ml Kalki Moon Gin
25ml Bundaberg Brewed Ginger Beer
15ml simple syrup
15ml lime juice
Small handful of fresh mint leaves
Lime, to garnish
Method
Muddle the mint (keeping some leaves back for extra garnish), simple syrup and lime juice at the bottom of a shaker. Add ice and the gin. Shake well and then strain into a glass full of ice. Top up with ginger beer and garnish with the remaining mint leaves and a wedge of lime.
Granddad Jack’s Seymour Street
Ingredients
45ml Green House Gin
45ml fresh lime juice
30ml eucalyptus syrup
Method
Build your cocktail in a rocks glass over ice. Stir to combine and serve!
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